Iron Heart Surge vs Enervation

[Old_school_overlord]

Will Iron Heart Surge let a swordsage shrug off negative levels? Would that result in the Swodsage recovering 5hps per negative level eliminated?

Thanks

 

[Runestar]

In theory, IHS can remove any effect with a duration other than instantaneous, such as poison, disease, even epic spells, AMFs, and the sun (if you are a drow).

In practice, this maneuver is so ambiguously worded that you are better off just tying down with your DM just what it can and cannot effect, rather than trying to fathom just what the designers had in mind when they conceptualized it. And while you are at it, try to get your DM to allow you to initiate it without having to move. Annoying that it cannot be used to remove a hold person spell...

 

[Corsair]

In theory, IHS can remove any effect with a duration other than instantaneous, such as poison, disease, even epic spells, AMFs, and the sun (if you are a drow).

In practice, this maneuver is so ambiguously worded that you are better off just tying down with your DM just what it can and cannot effect, rather than trying to fathom just what the designers had in mind when they conceptualized it. And while you are at it, try to get your DM to allow you to initiate it without having to move. Annoying that it cannot be used to remove a hold person spell...

Marvelous job of not answering the OP in any of that though.

It says one spell, effect, or "other condition" with a duration blah blah.

Well in this case, Enervation has an instaneous duration, so the question is whether a negative level is an "effect or other condition." Under the list of "conditions" in the SRD, "energy drained" is listed. So it seems like it would work under the strictest sense.

 

[Runestar]

Well, the FAQ did have this entry.

What exactly can or can’t iron heart surge (Tome of Battle, page 68) remove?

Instantaneous effects can’t be removed by iron heart surge. However, any effect with a duration of 1 or more rounds, including permanent-duration spells or effects, may be removed by iron heart surge, nor does iron heart surge restore damage or ability drain.

Iron heart surge doesn’t replace lost levels (though it would remove any negative levels resulting from a single spell or effect). It would neutralize a single poison coursing through your system, or a single disease that afflicted you.

 

[Old_school_overlord]

Ah, so it will counteract 1 enervation spell, but not all negative levels.

Thanks for that.